Comments on: Action Not Words: The Difference Between Talkers and Doershttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/
Common sense advice on money saving tips, how to get out of debt, high interest savings accounts, cd rates, money market accounts, mortgage rates, money management and more.Sun, 02 Aug 2015 22:20:27 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1By: VADSDEV AMARhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-3/#comment-3659339
VADSDEV AMARFri, 09 May 2014 11:51:13 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-3659339I understood that i am not a doer but how does i ignore because mind always wants credit for those things which i do.I understood that i am not a doer but how does i ignore because mind always wants credit for those things which i do.

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]]>By: Alexandrahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-3/#comment-1549802
AlexandraThu, 07 Jul 2011 17:47:25 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-1549802Love this. I constantly struggle with talking vs. doing, and failure has been a huge part of that! Thanks for the inspiration!Love this. I constantly struggle with talking vs. doing, and failure has been a huge part of that! Thanks for the inspiration!

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]]>By: François Cassinhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-3/#comment-744262
François CassinMon, 13 Sep 2010 17:24:11 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-744262Hey JD :)
Nice to see your Starcraft II ranking, I've been playing a lot more than I should too, but I enjoy it too much ! I'm a low level diamond player trying to climb my way up.
I wanted to correct you on your French but I see it's already been done :) Don't listen to the rumors, we aren't that rude, if you try to speak the language, people will help you !Hey JD

Nice to see your Starcraft II ranking, I’ve been playing a lot more than I should too, but I enjoy it too much ! I’m a low level diamond player trying to climb my way up.

I wanted to correct you on your French but I see it’s already been done Don’t listen to the rumors, we aren’t that rude, if you try to speak the language, people will help you !

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]]>By: gillishttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-3/#comment-728282
gillisWed, 08 Sep 2010 23:08:13 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-728282Something about rating your personal goals. You should NOT measure the succes only from the result.
Achieving goals are for most people tricky in the beginning. The reason is that you just dont developed a proper way to create reasonable and realistic goals.
The only way to get this is by doing it and afterwards analysing your previous attempts to create a better vision of what's possible and what's not. Its an itterative process. Each new goal is done with information from previous attempts. wether it was a succes or failure.
Its quite easy to understand that in the beginning there wont be much satisfaction from finished goals. This sucks. It demotivates you and blocks you to continue. You will fail for sure. But is this opinion correct?
I dont believe so.
Instead try to look at the attempt itself. By starting doing something you already made a huge step. Its a succes!!! You have something already to fill your mind with.
If you manage to see this, you will find out that everything will be so much more easier.
Starting with something gets easier, finishing something gets easier. And you will feel a lot better and other people will like you a lot more!!
In general its recommended to always try to look at the positive sides of things. This not only goes for goals, but also for people or whatever.
Forcing your brains to think positive is first essential tool you need.Something about rating your personal goals. You should NOT measure the succes only from the result.

Achieving goals are for most people tricky in the beginning. The reason is that you just dont developed a proper way to create reasonable and realistic goals.
The only way to get this is by doing it and afterwards analysing your previous attempts to create a better vision of what’s possible and what’s not. Its an itterative process. Each new goal is done with information from previous attempts. wether it was a succes or failure.

Its quite easy to understand that in the beginning there wont be much satisfaction from finished goals. This sucks. It demotivates you and blocks you to continue. You will fail for sure. But is this opinion correct?

I dont believe so.
Instead try to look at the attempt itself. By starting doing something you already made a huge step. Its a succes!!! You have something already to fill your mind with.
If you manage to see this, you will find out that everything will be so much more easier.
Starting with something gets easier, finishing something gets easier. And you will feel a lot better and other people will like you a lot more!!

In general its recommended to always try to look at the positive sides of things. This not only goes for goals, but also for people or whatever.
Forcing your brains to think positive is first essential tool you need.

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]]>By: Karenhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-727612
KarenWed, 08 Sep 2010 18:47:29 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-727612Oops, I also meant to say: your decision tree seems too harsh. All five of those conditions will rarely be met (and if they are, it will be at the end of the day!) I would settle for 4/5.Oops, I also meant to say: your decision tree seems too harsh. All five of those conditions will rarely be met (and if they are, it will be at the end of the day!) I would settle for 4/5.

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]]>By: Karenhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-727602
KarenWed, 08 Sep 2010 18:46:43 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-727602The talking/doing thing reminds me of you at Get Fit Slowly- before you were just talking, now you're doing.
My main problem is that I forget my non-main projects and neither talk about them nor do them!The talking/doing thing reminds me of you at Get Fit Slowly- before you were just talking, now you’re doing.

My main problem is that I forget my non-main projects and neither talk about them nor do them!

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]]>By: Jacq @ Single Mom Rich Momhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-723212
Jacq @ Single Mom Rich MomTue, 07 Sep 2010 13:28:03 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-723212I know of quite a few people that have time management issues that have found success with systems like the pomodoro technique which builds breaks into your day:
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
From Karate Kid:
Walk on road, hmm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do ‘yes,’ or karate do ‘no.’ You karate do ‘guess so,’ just like grape. Understand?
You can find some good advice on establishing positive rituals in The Power of Full Engagement.I know of quite a few people that have time management issues that have found success with systems like the pomodoro technique which builds breaks into your day:http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

From Karate Kid:
Walk on road, hmm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later, get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do ‘yes,’ or karate do ‘no.’ You karate do ‘guess so,’ just like grape. Understand?

You can find some good advice on establishing positive rituals in The Power of Full Engagement.

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]]>By: SymKathttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-720842
SymKatMon, 06 Sep 2010 22:47:39 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-720842A lot of this has rung true for myself. I've found not only do I procrastinate but I also build my own walls against things. I recently started a blog about computer things 6 weeks ago.
I wanted to make it in February. So I said, "Wordpress is horrible for a blog, let me write my own engine." So I wrote an engine in CGI::FastCGI. Then I decided that using a while loop for the dispatch was horrible, and went to POE::Component::FastCGI. That was about March. April and May I implemented the entire engine, but the CSS and HTML was a nightmare (i'm far from a designer of pretty things). By July I was basically saying, "I can't write a blog because I make bad CSS and HTML that is unattractive".
I talked to a friend of mine whose advise was basically, "You want to write a blog, write a blog. You're writing a blogging engine."
So now, I'm using wordpress and have actually published some articles. Eventually I think I'll port a theme to my engine and use it, but building things infront of your end-goal that derail the actual goal is still a huge problem I have.A lot of this has rung true for myself. I’ve found not only do I procrastinate but I also build my own walls against things. I recently started a blog about computer things 6 weeks ago.

I wanted to make it in February. So I said, “WordPress is horrible for a blog, let me write my own engine.” So I wrote an engine in CGI::FastCGI. Then I decided that using a while loop for the dispatch was horrible, and went to POE::Component::FastCGI. That was about March. April and May I implemented the entire engine, but the CSS and HTML was a nightmare (i’m far from a designer of pretty things). By July I was basically saying, “I can’t write a blog because I make bad CSS and HTML that is unattractive”.

I talked to a friend of mine whose advise was basically, “You want to write a blog, write a blog. You’re writing a blogging engine.”

So now, I’m using wordpress and have actually published some articles. Eventually I think I’ll port a theme to my engine and use it, but building things infront of your end-goal that derail the actual goal is still a huge problem I have.

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]]>By: captainkidshttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-704862
captainkidsThu, 02 Sep 2010 16:48:50 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-704862I’m not a gamer by any means, but I totally get this article. I’m still a talker on things that scare me…(maybe challenge would be a better term.) These are usually long-term/strategic in nature. I like to see fast results, so I struggle with issues like those.
Like you JD, I’ve shed my financial bad habits and was hoping to be fulfilled from that. I somewhat am, but now I’m faced with even bigger challenges…challenges there are no easy to follow instructions for. There’s no “debt snowball” for what I want to do with my life.
Like Rob said above, perhaps you are struggling with the strategic question of where to take GRS in the future?I’m not a gamer by any means, but I totally get this article. I’m still a talker on things that scare me…(maybe challenge would be a better term.) These are usually long-term/strategic in nature. I like to see fast results, so I struggle with issues like those.

Like you JD, I’ve shed my financial bad habits and was hoping to be fulfilled from that. I somewhat am, but now I’m faced with even bigger challenges…challenges there are no easy to follow instructions for. There’s no “debt snowball” for what I want to do with my life.

Like Rob said above, perhaps you are struggling with the strategic question of where to take GRS in the future?

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]]>By: Gal @ Equally Happyhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-701452
Gal @ Equally HappyWed, 01 Sep 2010 16:33:40 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-701452It's a fine line between a doer with the right balance of life to leisure and an obsessed person who does nothing more than work and never has a moment off. My father used to be the latter. He would work 18 hour days, 7 days a week, chasing his dream. He did this for a period of about 20 years before he finally realized this was not the way to live his life. He still works hard but he also takes the occasional vacation these days and spends time with his kids. Don't go too far in either direction JD.It’s a fine line between a doer with the right balance of life to leisure and an obsessed person who does nothing more than work and never has a moment off. My father used to be the latter. He would work 18 hour days, 7 days a week, chasing his dream. He did this for a period of about 20 years before he finally realized this was not the way to live his life. He still works hard but he also takes the occasional vacation these days and spends time with his kids. Don’t go too far in either direction JD.

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]]>By: David/MoneyCrashershttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-698622
David/MoneyCrashersWed, 01 Sep 2010 01:48:03 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-698622Everybody deserves a break once in awhile.
Sounds to me like you do--if this game is your vice or your hobby or whatever--great for you.
EnjoyEverybody deserves a break once in awhile.

Sounds to me like you do–if this game is your vice or your hobby or whatever–great for you.

Enjoy

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]]>By: Trinahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-697662
TrinaTue, 31 Aug 2010 19:34:27 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-697662My SO and I are completely different from each other in this regard. I think the fear of failure is a big part of it. I am not afraid of being wrong, so I get a lot more done. My spouse, on the other hand, has to research everything to death and know every little nuance, and usually ends up doing nothing. In psychological terms, she's a "maximizer" and I'm a "satisficer" (see The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz). This usually means that my method of doing things does not result in the perfect product, but I would pick action over inaction almost every time. My motto: "The perfect is the enemy of the good." I agree with the PPs who said the game sounds like a displacement activity, and that you may be slipping back into depression.My SO and I are completely different from each other in this regard. I think the fear of failure is a big part of it. I am not afraid of being wrong, so I get a lot more done. My spouse, on the other hand, has to research everything to death and know every little nuance, and usually ends up doing nothing. In psychological terms, she’s a “maximizer” and I’m a “satisficer” (see The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz). This usually means that my method of doing things does not result in the perfect product, but I would pick action over inaction almost every time. My motto: “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” I agree with the PPs who said the game sounds like a displacement activity, and that you may be slipping back into depression.

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]]>By: Arnoudhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-697222
ArnoudTue, 31 Aug 2010 16:18:04 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-697222I'm afraid your French needs some more time than you're giving it. It should be: J'ai deux chemises noires. You said 'I have two black shirt'. But keep up the good work, the French are very chauvenistic and any tourist who at least tries to speak French is welcomed like a lost child.I’m afraid your French needs some more time than you’re giving it. It should be: J’ai deux chemises noires. You said ‘I have two black shirt’. But keep up the good work, the French are very chauvenistic and any tourist who at least tries to speak French is welcomed like a lost child.

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]]>By: olgahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696992
olgaTue, 31 Aug 2010 14:28:09 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696992I actually agree on the idea of completely removing the item that stays on your way to be a doer. I know I am only human as well, and plan accordingly. I leave laptop at work so I don't plug in at home. I cancelled my Facebook account because I couldn't control how much I spend on it reading bs while I was subscribed (for a full 2 months). I get my run done at 5am, and my second workout straight from work, so I have no distructions of house/family responsibility. At work I start on chemical reaction, and then tune into blog world:) Not many people are hard core will powered. We just need to plan smart.
p.s. most of all I like discussions that are brought by the posts:)I actually agree on the idea of completely removing the item that stays on your way to be a doer. I know I am only human as well, and plan accordingly. I leave laptop at work so I don’t plug in at home. I cancelled my Facebook account because I couldn’t control how much I spend on it reading bs while I was subscribed (for a full 2 months). I get my run done at 5am, and my second workout straight from work, so I have no distructions of house/family responsibility. At work I start on chemical reaction, and then tune into blog world:) Not many people are hard core will powered. We just need to plan smart.
p.s. most of all I like discussions that are brought by the posts:)

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]]>By: Niel Malanhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696812
Niel MalanTue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:28 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696812JD, I notice that you start this post with a statistical analysis of your gaming behaviour. This is very interesting, as I find that one of the ways of moving from talking (or thinking) to doing is to keep a record of what one is doing, or not doing. I've heard that it has been shown that people who simply keep record of what they are eating already start losing weight. Just keeping track of each penny was the start to your financial freedom.
Putting numbers to things give us control over them.JD, I notice that you start this post with a statistical analysis of your gaming behaviour. This is very interesting, as I find that one of the ways of moving from talking (or thinking) to doing is to keep a record of what one is doing, or not doing. I’ve heard that it has been shown that people who simply keep record of what they are eating already start losing weight. Just keeping track of each penny was the start to your financial freedom.

Putting numbers to things give us control over them.

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]]>By: Brian Bhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696792
Brian BTue, 31 Aug 2010 12:52:04 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696792J.D., nevermind all of this..... Where are my Starcraft tips???? I need to learn from the master!J.D., nevermind all of this….. Where are my Starcraft tips???? I need to learn from the master!

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]]>By: Mightyhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696722
MightyTue, 31 Aug 2010 12:37:48 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696722Wow! Such an inspiring post JD. I love talking about my plans. But doing them is an entirely different thing!Wow! Such an inspiring post JD. I love talking about my plans. But doing them is an entirely different thing!

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]]>By: Rob Wardhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696592
Rob WardTue, 31 Aug 2010 11:11:50 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696592J.D.! As if I really needed another iPad app to distract me!
But seriously though, you are so right. For so long I wanted my own business and blog and just talked about it but never actually did anything. Now I'm finding how much work it really is! But I still enjoy it!J.D.! As if I really needed another iPad app to distract me!

But seriously though, you are so right. For so long I wanted my own business and blog and just talked about it but never actually did anything. Now I’m finding how much work it really is! But I still enjoy it!

]]>By: Sandy Lhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696472
Sandy LTue, 31 Aug 2010 10:02:50 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696472I always thought of it as a "do'er vs Complainer".
My dad was a complainer and it drove me nuts. He was so unhappy about his life.
Whenever I feel the urge to complain I ask myself:
What can I do to get out of this situation?
It seems to work most of the time, especially if I start with a relatively easy task to start with. Then it gets the ball rolling.
I admit though that sometimes it takse a while to get out of rut. Best to try not to get in it in the first place.I always thought of it as a “do’er vs Complainer”.

My dad was a complainer and it drove me nuts. He was so unhappy about his life.

Whenever I feel the urge to complain I ask myself:
What can I do to get out of this situation?
It seems to work most of the time, especially if I start with a relatively easy task to start with. Then it gets the ball rolling.

I admit though that sometimes it takse a while to get out of rut. Best to try not to get in it in the first place.

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]]>By: Siebriehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696432
SiebrieTue, 31 Aug 2010 09:25:25 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696432I went cold turkey on the tv a few years ago, after watching the third rerun of a documentary on Discovery. That same night I called the cable company and had them cut my cable. The relief! I was at a loss of what to do with my time for about a week, but after that so many interesting things came up to fill the void!
JD, for your French: maybe you can have a small blogitem every day with some new French idiom? Or a chat in French? Je vous souhaite de bonne chance, et je pense que c'est mieux pour vous si on vous répond en Francais.I went cold turkey on the tv a few years ago, after watching the third rerun of a documentary on Discovery. That same night I called the cable company and had them cut my cable. The relief! I was at a loss of what to do with my time for about a week, but after that so many interesting things came up to fill the void!

JD, for your French: maybe you can have a small blogitem every day with some new French idiom? Or a chat in French? Je vous souhaite de bonne chance, et je pense que c’est mieux pour vous si on vous répond en Francais.

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]]>By: Mac Helphttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-696102
Mac HelpTue, 31 Aug 2010 04:25:54 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-696102Love that you're playing SC II on the Mac, and I completely understand how it can suck you in. It seems like we've spent the same amount of time playing matches and not enough time improving our sites...
Silver League here too.. Trying to push forward with Protoss..
Did you really delete SC II? Good thing its a quick install :)Love that you’re playing SC II on the Mac, and I completely understand how it can suck you in. It seems like we’ve spent the same amount of time playing matches and not enough time improving our sites…

Silver League here too.. Trying to push forward with Protoss..

Did you really delete SC II? Good thing its a quick install

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]]>By: Jenniehttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695842
JennieTue, 31 Aug 2010 02:14:22 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695842How motivating. New person goal: Even if for just 15 minutes a day I need to be doer. But the video games (or tv addictions, or other "time wasters") can be a nice break to add some balance. Just like an occasional latte won't break the bank. Thanks for sharing!How motivating. New person goal: Even if for just 15 minutes a day I need to be doer. But the video games (or tv addictions, or other “time wasters”) can be a nice break to add some balance. Just like an occasional latte won’t break the bank. Thanks for sharing!

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]]>By: Lindsayhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695812
LindsayTue, 31 Aug 2010 01:40:31 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695812This is so spot on. You know for four years I "played" guitar. Of course I always told myself I would practice to get better, but I never actually did it. In the past two months - when i actually started doing the practicing - I've gotten better than I ever was in those four years.
Et, bonne chance avec vos études! Je pense qu'il ne sera pas trop difficile. Apprendre une langue resemble à écrire un roman: pour progresser, il faut que vous écriviez, lisiez, et PARLIEZ.
Translation: And good luck with your studies! I don't think it will be too difficult. Learning a language is similar to writing a novel: to get better, you must write, read, and SPEAK.
or at least I think that's what I said. I skipped french last semester :/This is so spot on. You know for four years I “played” guitar. Of course I always told myself I would practice to get better, but I never actually did it. In the past two months – when i actually started doing the practicing – I’ve gotten better than I ever was in those four years.

Translation: And good luck with your studies! I don’t think it will be too difficult. Learning a language is similar to writing a novel: to get better, you must write, read, and SPEAK.

or at least I think that’s what I said. I skipped french last semester :/

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]]>By: Wendyhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695762
WendyTue, 31 Aug 2010 01:17:08 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695762Thanks JD for keeping it honest and letting us know of your own daily challenges!I always enjoy learning new things about finance but I also enjoy when you bring in your personal story of how you achieved success through hard work.
Thanks!Thanks JD for keeping it honest and letting us know of your own daily challenges!I always enjoy learning new things about finance but I also enjoy when you bring in your personal story of how you achieved success through hard work.

Thanks!

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]]>By: chicahttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695752
chicaTue, 31 Aug 2010 01:16:49 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695752Great post JD. I just realised that Im a talker too! I'll take my baby steps from now on to become a doer.
Thanks for the great post!Great post JD. I just realised that Im a talker too! I’ll take my baby steps from now on to become a doer.

Thanks for the great post!

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]]>By: Starshard0http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695702
Starshard0Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:22:51 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695702I'm interested in trying out Starcraft II, unfortunately I'm stranded in Afghanistan with a netbook and limited internet access. It kind of bums me out that you have internet access to play it.
One of my whole reasons for wanting to retire early is to have more time to devote to my video game playing passion. I promised myself as a kid that I would never stop playing video games, and nowadays work just gets in the way (that, and the ridiculous prices of today's games).
As far as becoming a doer, I've resolved that as long as I'm stuck in Afghanistan I might as well write a little bit about it, which is why I decided to dedicate every Friday on my blog to sharing my experiences.I’m interested in trying out Starcraft II, unfortunately I’m stranded in Afghanistan with a netbook and limited internet access. It kind of bums me out that you have internet access to play it.

One of my whole reasons for wanting to retire early is to have more time to devote to my video game playing passion. I promised myself as a kid that I would never stop playing video games, and nowadays work just gets in the way (that, and the ridiculous prices of today’s games).

As far as becoming a doer, I’ve resolved that as long as I’m stuck in Afghanistan I might as well write a little bit about it, which is why I decided to dedicate every Friday on my blog to sharing my experiences.

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]]>By: Davidhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695662
DavidTue, 31 Aug 2010 00:08:01 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695662"But the funny thing is, the Talker never acts on his solutions and his great plans. And he never gets that new job. He’s out of work or stuck in a job he hates."
I think that's incredibly unfair. Simplistic. And naive.
Anderson himself says that while he's published over 100 books, he also has over 800 rejection letters. That strongly implies that success is not entirely within his control. Sometimes he's lucky. More often than not, he's not.
In this economy, sure it's easy to find a job if you don't mind working for minimum wage, doing boring repetitive tasks that make you question why you even bothered going to college. It's much harder to find a job for which you are neither under- or overqualified for, even when you are realistic about the skills in demand and the expectations of the job.
The nationwide, generic unemployment rate, uncorrected for regional differences, blue collar jobs, white collar jobs, etc, etc, is roughly 10%. The underemployment rate, a way of measuring our potential productivity, is closer to 25%. As the cliched joke goes, there are a lot of people out there with Masters' Degrees in English Literature, asking you if you want fries with that?
There are lots of reasons why this may be the case. Sometimes people can't move for a better job due to negative equity or family obligations. There may be regulatory and bureaucratic constraints. Training may not be available. There may be a surplus such that only the most experienced get hired. The desired field may be saturated; not everyone can become the CEO of a fortune 500 company simply because there are only 500 such slots to begin with. Or there may just simply be no money available in that field (such as construction). These are all factors that are beyond the dream-job-applicant's control.
I realize that this is just a single blog article emphasizing the power of positive thinking and taking baby steps, but I can only imagine how Anderson would have felt if he had confessed to 800 rejection letters only to be told that he wasn't trying hard enough.
My friend just got a new job slash promotion, climbed the ladder and is now one rung short of his dream job. (Congratulations if you're reading this!) The thing is, he spent four years paying his dues, putting up with crap, working graveyard shifts, going on interviews, volunteering for projects and doing everything he can to make himself the ideal candidate.
By any measure of the word, he's a doer.
He will also be the first one to tell you that the only reason he was even considered for the position is because the incumbent decided to move on to greener pastures. He firmly believes that the secret to his success was being patient, saying focused on his goal, turning down other opportunities, and waiting for his chance.
By that definition, he's also a talker. I can't begin to tell you how many times we've tried to persuade him to do something else that fully utilizes his talent, and more importantly, did not rely on his boss kneeling over.
I did not mention his name earlier because by virtue of being a talker, he also inadvertently sabotaged an otherwise promising relationship. I don't know if it keeps him up nights but it certainly would have kept me up nights; would I have been happier "doing something" and keeping a girlfriend, or being a talker, waiting for my chance but loosing the girl in the process?
Obviously there's some overlap and it's not a black and white issue.
In the interests of offering constructive criticism, I'd love to see a follow up article discussing when to accept that something's beyond your control, in the context of seizing job opportunities.
Especially in today's economy, at what point should someone stop "talking" and leave his secure job? And probably a little more relevantly, at what point should someone who's receiving unemployment benefits, stop applying for his dream job and instead take a minimum wage position, and baby-step his way up the ladder?“But the funny thing is, the Talker never acts on his solutions and his great plans. And he never gets that new job. He’s out of work or stuck in a job he hates.”

I think that’s incredibly unfair. Simplistic. And naive.

Anderson himself says that while he’s published over 100 books, he also has over 800 rejection letters. That strongly implies that success is not entirely within his control. Sometimes he’s lucky. More often than not, he’s not.

In this economy, sure it’s easy to find a job if you don’t mind working for minimum wage, doing boring repetitive tasks that make you question why you even bothered going to college. It’s much harder to find a job for which you are neither under- or overqualified for, even when you are realistic about the skills in demand and the expectations of the job.

The nationwide, generic unemployment rate, uncorrected for regional differences, blue collar jobs, white collar jobs, etc, etc, is roughly 10%. The underemployment rate, a way of measuring our potential productivity, is closer to 25%. As the cliched joke goes, there are a lot of people out there with Masters’ Degrees in English Literature, asking you if you want fries with that?

There are lots of reasons why this may be the case. Sometimes people can’t move for a better job due to negative equity or family obligations. There may be regulatory and bureaucratic constraints. Training may not be available. There may be a surplus such that only the most experienced get hired. The desired field may be saturated; not everyone can become the CEO of a fortune 500 company simply because there are only 500 such slots to begin with. Or there may just simply be no money available in that field (such as construction). These are all factors that are beyond the dream-job-applicant’s control.

I realize that this is just a single blog article emphasizing the power of positive thinking and taking baby steps, but I can only imagine how Anderson would have felt if he had confessed to 800 rejection letters only to be told that he wasn’t trying hard enough.

My friend just got a new job slash promotion, climbed the ladder and is now one rung short of his dream job. (Congratulations if you’re reading this!) The thing is, he spent four years paying his dues, putting up with crap, working graveyard shifts, going on interviews, volunteering for projects and doing everything he can to make himself the ideal candidate.

By any measure of the word, he’s a doer.

He will also be the first one to tell you that the only reason he was even considered for the position is because the incumbent decided to move on to greener pastures. He firmly believes that the secret to his success was being patient, saying focused on his goal, turning down other opportunities, and waiting for his chance.

By that definition, he’s also a talker. I can’t begin to tell you how many times we’ve tried to persuade him to do something else that fully utilizes his talent, and more importantly, did not rely on his boss kneeling over.

I did not mention his name earlier because by virtue of being a talker, he also inadvertently sabotaged an otherwise promising relationship. I don’t know if it keeps him up nights but it certainly would have kept me up nights; would I have been happier “doing something” and keeping a girlfriend, or being a talker, waiting for my chance but loosing the girl in the process?

Obviously there’s some overlap and it’s not a black and white issue.

In the interests of offering constructive criticism, I’d love to see a follow up article discussing when to accept that something’s beyond your control, in the context of seizing job opportunities.

Especially in today’s economy, at what point should someone stop “talking” and leave his secure job? And probably a little more relevantly, at what point should someone who’s receiving unemployment benefits, stop applying for his dream job and instead take a minimum wage position, and baby-step his way up the ladder?

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]]>By: Bethhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695652
BethMon, 30 Aug 2010 23:55:12 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695652J.D.,
I greatly enjoy your posts AND the posts of your staff writers. The Simple Dollar was the first pf blog I started reading and while Trent does a great job, it is getting a little stale. I know I can drop by GRS and see something fresh from a different perspective while there are only so many times I want to read about making my own laundry detergent or skipping a latte or two.J.D.,

I greatly enjoy your posts AND the posts of your staff writers. The Simple Dollar was the first pf blog I started reading and while Trent does a great job, it is getting a little stale. I know I can drop by GRS and see something fresh from a different perspective while there are only so many times I want to read about making my own laundry detergent or skipping a latte or two.

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]]>By: Erinhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/30/action-not-words-the-difference-between-talkers-and-doers/comment-page-2/#comment-695622
ErinMon, 30 Aug 2010 23:35:28 +0000http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/?p=38151#comment-695622Thank-you for this post. I've never thought about things in terms of the Talker/Doer (or Thinker, as some commenters have added), but it really makes sense.
My husband and I both recently graduated with PhDs from UC Berkeley. We have often talked about the fact that we aren't the most intelligent people we know -we were just both very diligent and we persevered. One of the most brilliant people I know failed to earn her PhD in my program because the work didn't appeal to her.
Now I'm working in the "real world", and I have much less drive than I did before. Thanks for the wake-up call. It's time for me to set some new goals!
PS. re: Raghu Bilhana's comment -I love your guest posts. They broaden the perspective of your blog and have introduced me to a lot of new ideas.Thank-you for this post. I’ve never thought about things in terms of the Talker/Doer (or Thinker, as some commenters have added), but it really makes sense.

My husband and I both recently graduated with PhDs from UC Berkeley. We have often talked about the fact that we aren’t the most intelligent people we know -we were just both very diligent and we persevered. One of the most brilliant people I know failed to earn her PhD in my program because the work didn’t appeal to her.

Now I’m working in the “real world”, and I have much less drive than I did before. Thanks for the wake-up call. It’s time for me to set some new goals!

PS. re: Raghu Bilhana’s comment -I love your guest posts. They broaden the perspective of your blog and have introduced me to a lot of new ideas.